Once bacteria have entered your tooth, it may be too late for a filling because we will need to prevent or treat an existing infection. However, it's never too late for dental care!
Every Cavity Is Different
Some people have softer tooth enamel than others, making it easier for bacteria or acid to penetrate the tooth. On average, as a broad timeline, it can take anywhere from six months to four or five years before a cavity needs treatment.
If your cavity hurts, it's not too late for a dentist to save your tooth. When cavities are small, they tend not to hurt too much, but they'll start to cause pain as they grow. That's usually when you notice them.
If a cavity goes untreated for a year, the tooth may die. The tooth will probably feel painful, sore, and may feel brittle or loose. You may also notice brown, dark yellow, or black discoloration around the tooth. You may also notice redness and swelling around the gums.
If the decay reaches your tooth's main structure, called dentin, then a filling can replace the lost tooth structure after your dentist has cleaned the cavity of bacteria and infection. However, if it reaches the tooth's center chamber, called the pulp, a filling may no longer suffice to address it.
Your Teeth Can't Be Repaired
You may need a tooth extraction if your tooth is damaged beyond repair. This could happen when bacteria can get inside your tooth and affect the pulp. When the pulp of the tooth is damaged, it becomes very difficult to save. In some cases, a root canal may help.
You may need to have a tooth extracted if: Periodontal disease has badly infected the tooth. The tooth is badly damaged and cannot be restored by a filling or a crown. You are suffering from pain even after a filling, crown, or treatment for a root canal.
Pretty much everyone gets a cavity or two in their lifetime, even with good dental hygiene. The average American adult has three fillings. But if you tend to get a lot of cavities, you may be wondering why. Are you more cavity-prone than other people?
If your tooth needs a filling, then waiting too long to treat it could lead to more severe decay within the tooth's structure.
It can take as long as five years from the time a cavity begins to develop to when the tooth needs treatment to prevent the cavity from spreading further.
Cavity pain can range from mild to unbearable. When a cavity eats away at the enamel of a tooth, a person might find that it is more sensitive, especially when brushing the teeth or drinking hot or cold beverages. Cavities that cause deeper damage in the tooth can affect the nerve, causing intense pain.
Feel a toothache or feel pain when eating, drinking or biting down. Feel sensitivity to hot, cold or sweet food and drinks. Develop a bad taste in your mouth, or bad breath. Feel the hole or crack in your tooth with your tongue.
Always call your dentist if you are in pain or think you may have a cavity, and consult with them on whether or not it is a situation needing emergency care. But if it is something that can wait, your dentist may advise you to treat your symptoms at home.
If you're trying to choose between the two options and wondering “which is more painful, a tooth extraction or a filling,” removing a tooth results in a longer period of discomfort compared to a filling procedure.
Cavities don't go away on their own, and if you don't treat them in time, they can spread to the entire surface of the tooth, and then to other teeth. Cavities tend to widen and deepen, making your teeth brittle and more prone to cracking or breaking.
Though good oral hygiene that includes brushing and flossing helps in preventing cavities, you may still get cavities. The reasons can be many, like the spaces between teeth that easily trap food, consuming too much cavity-causing foods and beverages, avoiding regular professional-level cleanings and checkups, etc.
Another standard is the width of the filling. Some say that a filling shouldn't be any wider than ⅓ of the distance between the cusps (high points) of a tooth. Others allow for up to 50% of this distance.
Decay can deteriorate our teeth and over time if not treated, the teeth can become loose and even fall out. Decay damages teeth and can cause dental abscesses that can become serious if not treated.
If you wait to have a root canal, you're only providing that infection more time to gain strength and spread. Infection can spread from the tooth into the bloodstream, and then you have a much more serious issue than a common and routine dental practice.
If the deepest layers of the pulp become infected, it may be too late to save the tooth. In addition, if a large portion of the tooth is lost and a crown cannot be placed on what's left, root canal treatment is no longer a viable solution.